Question for the Lefties - KU Mazaki Nakiri

[esoo]

So I ordered a Mazaki KU 170 Nakiri last week, and it came in. Nice knife with decent fit and finish.

Only thing is the grind is somewhat asymmetric. From what I can see/feel, the grind is 50/50, but behind the edge, the right side is convexed while the left is a straight wide bevel. I'm attaching pictures and the left side you can see is flat, while the right is curved.

I like the profile of the blade - flat - and that is why I bought it. That and it seem to be a good way to try a Mazaki, which people seem to rave about.

So would you stick with it, maybe flatten the right bevel, or would you return?

The blade is unused, so the vendor will accept a return as long as I don't do anything.

Left side:

Right side:

 

[Benuser]

You may flatten the right face but can't add meat to the left one. So you should expect poor food release and produce sticking like glued.
After a few sharpenings, crazy steering is likely to appear.
https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/threads/a-basic-explanation-of-asymmetry.33951/Most Japanese knives are strongly right-biased, having the edge off-centered to the left, the right face convexed and the left one much flatter. The idea comes from the Sabs and has been enhanced since: easy, as in Japan left-handers used to be ignored. Putting a symmetric edge on it doesn't change these fundamentals.
With very thin blades like lasers the asymmetry isn't much pronounced.
Have seen very asymmetric workhorses though being sold as 'ambidextrous'.
The solution is in getting a blade with an inverted geometry: left side convexed, right one flatter, edge off-centered to the right.

 

[NO ChoP!]

I'm a lefty, and realized many moons ago, this world isn't friendly to our kind. As long as there is some convexing, even if it is asymmetrical, or at least a flat wide bevel, and not a totally flat side, I have learned to manage. Like many things in this world, left handed people adapt; pencil sharpeners, scissors, etc...

I would say put it on the board and use it. Choil shots don't tell the entire story. If food releases than what's the issue, right?

 

[esoo]

You may flatten the right face but can't add meat to the left one. So you should expect poor food release and produce sticking like glued.
After a few sharpenings, crazy steering is likely to appear.
https://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/threads/a-basic-explanation-of-asymmetry.33951/Most Japanese knives are strongly right-biased, having the edge off-centered to the left, the right face convexed and the left one much flatter. The idea comes from the Sabs and has been enhanced since: easy, as in Japan left-handers used to be ignored. Putting a symmetric edge on it doesn't change these fundamentals.
With very thin blades like lasers the asymmetry isn't much pronounced.
Have seen very asymmetric workhorses though being sold as 'ambidextrous'.
The solution is in getting a blade with an inverted geometry: left side convexed, right one flatter, edge off-centered to the right.

Thanks for the response.

I am aware of the asymmetry of Japanese blades - both of my cheap Tojiro's are righty biased, I've handled a few righty lasers from a co-worker, and I own a lefty Misono gyuto. On every one of those blades, inspecting from the choil, you can see the asymmetry - that there is a different amount of steel on each side of the "center-line" (I know that is wrong terminology). Best way to describe that is this pic, where C is the edge, and A-B is the spine - you can see that the line from C to AB (where the angle at AB is 90 degrees) does not come to middle of AB.

This was even noticeable on the Ashi Ginga 240 that my co-worker lent me. It would cut OK, but when I rotated it a bit to make the angles lefty friendly, it cut much better.

As far as I can tell on this Mazaki, the blade is symmetric. Every way I try to look at this blade, the "center line" does seem down the center of the knife, not off to one side. It seems like the triangle is like this:

It's just that near the edge, the blade is convex on the AC side to part way up the blade. This choil shot (from Knifewear) shows it well - in the last portion of the blade, you can see the difference in thickness of the sides.

I'm really trying to figure out if it's worth dealing with or better use of money to try a different knife.

 

[esoo]

I'm a lefty, and realized many moons ago, this world isn't friendly to our kind. As long as there is some convexing, even if it is asymmetrical, or at least a flat wide bevel, and not a totally flat side, I have learned to manage. Like many things in this world, left handed people adapt; pencil sharpeners, scissors, etc...

I would say put it on the board and use it. Choil shots don't tell the entire story. If food releases than what's the issue, right?

I'm messed up - I'm partially ambidextrous. Fine motor skills - left hand, strength - right hand. I could use a knife righty, but it's not as natural.

My thing here is I hate losing money doing a catch and release (just did a bunch of that). It hasn't touched a board yet so no money lost at this point, so I'm trying to decided if the loss of money is worth it to try the Mazaki

 

[YumYumSauce]

I'm messed up - I'm partially ambidextrous. Fine motor skills - left hand, strength - right hand. I could use a knife righty, but it's not as natural.

My thing here is I hate losing money doing a catch and release (just did a bunch of that). It hasn't touched a board yet so no money lost at this point, so I'm trying to decided if the loss of money is worth it to try the Mazaki

Im the same handness as you. I can write with my right, but wouldnt dare try a knife right handed lol.

 

[esoo]

I can't write with my right, but as a teenager a I worked behind the counter at a German butcher. It' blew his mind every time I used my right hand to slice up a roast when we were tight on board space

 

[labor of love]

If the vendor is down I’d just exchange it instead of working on it.
I’d rather have a bnib knife suited for me.

 

[esoo]

If the vendor is down I’d just exchange it instead of working on it.
I’d rather have a bnib knife suited for me.

The vendor has said they will take the knife back as long as the knife isn't used.

If it wasn't for the grind, it pretty much fits what I'm looking for right now. I know everyone says the Watanabe is the nakiri to get, but considering it is almost twice the price of this, this was great option.